My new 140 custom GLA tank build

[edsbeaker]

Well, this will be my first time documenting a build. I hope I don't bore anyone to death.

I decided to upgrade my tank for various reasons. The 75 gallon was scratched, which drove me crazy, the location of the tank in my home wasn't ideal, and I have been fighting a dino problem stemming from not properly cleaning my marco rock and sand before putting it into the 75G. So I needed to remove the rock and start all over.

It didn't make sense to go through all this trouble without an upgrade, so...... here we are.

The space that I wanted to put the tank was not quite large enough for a 6' tank. I knew I wanted at least 2' wide, and so decided on the 5'. I just ordered my 5' X 2' X 22" tank, stand and canopy from Great Lakes Aquarium, and will get it around the end of March. The stand will have doors on the front and both sides for easy access into the stand.
The canopy will be 14" high. It has doors on the front, as well as a flip top on a piano hinge that opens the entire front, and doors on both sides. I'm only 5' tall, so all of this will make it easier for maintenance in the tank and sump.

Details of the setup
It will be a mixed reef with minimalistic rock work. Lot's of open water.
Tank- 140G 5'X2'X22" reef ready, with starphire front and both sides, black silicone.
40 gallon custom sump made by Anthony-Nano Sea Creations
Controller- Apex light
Lighting- ATI dimmable 6X 54W fixture
Flow - 2 mp40's with WXM module for apex control
Skimmer- SRO 2000INT
ATO- Tunze osmolator
Dosing- 3 Drew's pumps from BRS, magnesium, alkalinity and calcium
GFO and Carbon- TLF reactors
BRS 6 stage RODI- added 150GPD upgrade with booster pump.


For the next year or so, my son, daughter-in-law and 4 small grandkids will be living with us. One of the things that was difficult to do on the old tank, with the kids, was water changes. I had my hose going across my kitchen and family room and draining into my laundry tub. A dangerous thing with four kids around. So I'm going to be doing things a bit more safely this time around. I have to keep my sump upstairs, because my husband has a train layout in the basement. We have run into problems in the past with his metal tracks rusting from the saltwater with an open sump, so can't have it down there. But I will have the dosing pumps, the ATO, and my closed saltwater change container in the basement. I have purchased pumps to keep permanently in the sump and the saltwater container, and have routed the plumbing through the basement, so that it is hidden and permanently set up. All that I need to do is turn on and off the pumps with my apex for instant water changes. I'm really looking forward to not having to roll out the hoses each week. In fact it is so easy, maybe I'll do 5% changes twice a week.

 

[Smitty]

Sounds like an awesome setup...can't wait to see it.

 

[edsbeaker]

What I'm working on right now.

While I'm waiting for the tank/stand to arrive. I am in the process of bleaching all of my rock. It's been sitting in a brute container for about a week. I will be taking it out on Monday, rinsing it a couple times, and then adding some Prime to the water to get out any remaining ammonia. Then it will sit out to dry for a few days. Next step will be a soaking in some lanthanum chloride to make sure all the phosphate from the rocks is gone, adding a piece of shrimp and curing it all in the brute until the tank comes.

I am also cycling a QT. I've never successfully used one, but would like to do things right this time. I have a 20G long with a HOB filter. I'll be adding a piece of shrimp to start it cycling, and in a couple of weeks will add my first fish. If my timing is good, they should be ready to add to the DT when it is ready. I do plan on dosing the QT with praxi pro first, and then after water change and carbon, dosing cupramine to those fish that are not very sensitive to it. I do not trust myself to diagnose ich visually , and have a belief that if in the gills, it can be missed. Any comments on this? I know angels should not be treated with cupramine if at all possible. Any others I need to worry about?
My anticipated fish list is

Powder blue tang,
Flame angel
Coral beauty angel
Foxface
Midas Blenny
2 Clowns
2 Bangaii Cardinals
1 Firefish
2 Fairy wrasse of some kind

The QT tank will be set up permanently until the tank is fully stocked.

Pictures of everything to come in a few weeks! I'm not going to order the skimmer or MP40's until the DT is here. I don't want to lose the warranty time.

 

[edsbeaker]

Sounds like an awesome setup...can't wait to see it.

Thanks. I'm very excited. This is the first time I've really thought things through so much and taken the time to TRY and get it right.

 

[EricTheRed]

This will be nice when finished. I like how you will have plumbing for your wc's!! I also think you're doing the right thing by qt'ing your fish. If you're going to do something, then do it right

 

[edsbeaker]

This will be nice when finished. I like how you will have plumbing for your wc's!! I also think you're doing the right thing by qt'ing your fish. If you're going to do something, then do it right

Thanks, Eric.
I haven't ever had much luck with a QT. Lot's of fish have died in mine, but I think it was because I always set it up in a rush for an impulse buy. I hope to have the strength for patience and planning this time around! I'm going to stick to the list of fish I'm creating and NO impulse buys!

 

[Steve1986]

Marylin sounds like you have a great plan. It seems like you have thought everything thru , a couple of times . I'm definitely subscribing.

 

[edsbeaker]

Marylin sounds like you have a great plan. It seems like you have thought everything thru , a couple of times . I'm definitely subscribing.

Thanks Steve. We'll see.

This is actually the 5th reef tank I've set up. You would think I know what I'm doing by now, but I've never thought of everything. Not even close. :a42:

How are the clams?

 

[Steve1986]

They're doing great , here's a pic
View attachment 11847

Thanks Steve. We'll see.

This is actually the 5th reef tank I've set up. You would think I know what I'm doing by now, but I've never thought of everything. Not even close. :a42:

How are the clams?

 

[edsbeaker]

Good to hear!

 

[mlreef]

The build sounds great!

 

[Tangency]

Best of luck on your new build and I cant wait to see your progress pictures. The flame angel and powder blue tang are two of my favorites!

 

[edsbeaker]

Thanks everyone.

Best of luck on your new build and I cant wait to see your progress pictures. The flame angel and powder blue tang are two of my favorites!

I've never had a powder blue and have always thought they were beautiful.

So my QT is filled, and I'll have to wait until it cycles. Then the fun begins!

 

[edsbeaker]

Thinking about the order of stocking my fish. This is what I have in mind. Any suggestions?

1st additions
2 Bangaii Cardinals
1 Firefish

2nd additions
Midas blenny
Foxface

3rd additions
2 fairy wrasses

4th additions
2 clowns-ocellaris

5th additions
Flame angel
Coral beauty angel

6th addition
Powder blue tang

Do you think this order will work? Do you think there is room for a Kole Tang as well?

 

[edsbeaker]

Today I am working on getting all of my dead rock ready. I have around 75 lbs of Marco rock waiting for my quart of lanthanum chloride to be delivered, and then can start soaking my original 75 lbs of rock in it. I have also ordered an additional 50 lbs of nano marco rocks. I went with nano so that I could make some interesting rock work. I thought the smaller pieces would make it easier to make some interesting details. I did not order any morter from Marc, though. On these smaller rocks can I just use the two part epoxy to hold a few together, or does anyone know of some type of morter from Home Depot or Lowes that would be safe to use?

Poor Marc. I put in my order as 2-25lb. orders, because that's how it is listed on the web sight. So Marc called me to say that he can send it as 1-50 lb order and then refunded $15 to me for reduced shipping. I thought this was very nice of him. Unfortunately his staff didn't understand, and only sent 1-25 lb box. So, I'm feeling a bit bad for him that he has to pay for shipping the additional 25 lb. box at his cost.

I have also been working on getting plumbing, airline tubings for my dosers, ATO wiring and tubing, RODI tubing and Apex cables through holes I've made in my floors and walls between my basement and upstairs laundry room, and dinette, where the tank will go.

A couple of not very exciting pictures


View attachment 12210

The tank will be going in the spot in the picture above. One of the hoses will connect to a pump inside a 44G brute container with saltwater that is stored in the basement. You can also see the tubing for my three dosing containers, also in the basement, and my ATO will also come up through here. The second hose coming up will be attached to a pump in my sump. The sump will be upstairs under my tank cabinet, but the plumbing for this one goes down to the basement and then across my crawl space and upstairs again to the laundry tub in my laundry room. The second picture shows that. The RODI tubing is also coming up through that hole. By using my apex, I can just turn on and off both of these pumps to take water out of the sump, and replace it with the clean saltwater from the basement. Then the ATO container, also in the basement, and the saltwater container both are fitted with float valves, so that my RODI, it has a shut-off valve, will turn off automatically when the containers are full. The only work I will need to do is add salt to the brute can after a water change. Since the brute can is a 44G, I will only have to do this twice per month.I am so looking forward to no hoses needing to be connected each time.

When I look at so many of these builds, I notice how clean and neat everyone's work is. I'm a bit lazy about that, so please excuse my less then ideal carpentry skills. And please, please, please, if you ever have the opportunity to meet my husband, NEVER, EVER mention that there are holes in my floor and wall. I don't think he's noticed.

View attachment 12211

Tomorrow, I'll start the rocks in here soaking in the lanthalum chloride. I'll add the new Marco rocks as I finish with the bleach.
View attachment 12212

 

[gomery12]

Nice start to a fantastic build I'm sure. Subscribed
"2 fairy wrasses"-i have a coris and a red whipfin fairy that get along great. Both have different sleeping habits which is really cool to see. The coris will bury himself in the substrate (seen it only once), while the whipfin has it's spot that he goes into in the rock and then puts a mucas coating around him for defense at night. They both go to bed at the same time. They definitely are better trained then my 5 and 8 yr old.
I like the flame angel and coral beauty (i have a cb), but if I could i would get either a potters or a rusty, jmo! Can't wait to see more pics!

 

[Herbie]

Your equipment list is like a "best of the year" list. Really well planned. Your water change system sounds really cool.
One question (because I've never used one either): what is actually cycling in a QT? There's no LR in a QT right? I had thought the only way to get bacteria in there was to drop a sponge or filter sock from another tank. Is it possible/useful to have a QT constantly running without anything in it?

 

[edsbeaker]

Nice start to a fantastic build I'm sure. Subscribed
"2 fairy wrasses"-i have a coris and a red whipfin fairy that get along great. Both have different sleeping habits which is really cool to see. The coris will bury himself in the substrate (seen it only once), while the whipfin has it's spot that he goes into in the rock and then puts a mucas coating around him for defense at night. They both go to bed at the same time. They definitely are better trained then my 5 and 8 yr old.
I like the flame angel and coral beauty (i have a cb), but if I could i would get either a potters or a rusty, jmo! Can't wait to see more pics!

I think the Coris is beautiful. My only concern is that it isn't considered reef safe and can get aggressive. I'm already taking a chance with the angels, and foxface, so do I tempt fate with a 4th? The whip fin is one that I'm considering. I know I would like to get two whose colors will remain vibrant, and am not sure which types I would have the most luck with in absence of a female.

A Potter's has definitely been on my list many times. If I find a really beautiful one it may take the place of the coral beauty. The only thing is, that they aren't available as often as the other, and I want to add both angels at the same time so that neither has established a territory when they go into the DT. If the timing works out though, I may go that direction. Thanks for the input!!!

 

[edsbeaker]

Your equipment list is like a "best of the year" list. Really well planned. Your water change system sounds really cool.
One question (because I've never used one either): what is actually cycling in a QT? There's no LR in a QT right? I had thought the only way to get bacteria in there was to drop a sponge or filter sock from another tank. Is it possible/useful to have a QT constantly running without anything in it?

Thanks!!!
A lot of this equipment I had already on my 75G. The only additional items for the upgrade is a larger skimmer, still a SRO, but the 2000 instead of the smaller 1000 that I previously had. I loved how easily that skimmer was to dial in. It never seemed to overflow and worked great. Hoping the 2000 will do the same. I also sold my Tunze 6105's and will be changing over to mp40's. I was happy with how the tunze's ran, I just wasn't happy with them aesthetically. I guess the trade off is that the mp40's won't be as obtrusive, but may be noisier.

The QT I'm just doing a normal cycle on. I have a HOB filter with a bio wheel, and I put a dead piece of shrimp in there for a couple of days to spike the ammonia and get the cycle to begin. I'm just waiting for that all to happen... no nitrite yet...so in a couple of weeks I'll be ready to add fish. My track record with QT has been horrible, lot's of dead fish, so I'm hoping by planning it out better things will go better. I must be the only person ever that killed fish while trying to set up a healthier tank. They had a better chance being dropped right into the DT with ich and parasites!

My plan is to keep a QT set up until the entire DT has been stocked with fish. So it should always have fish in it to keep it cycled. If there is a period of time that it won't, I'll just feed it as though fish are in it to keep it from cycling again. After that, I'll take it down, but keep a new unused bio-wheel,probably costs $6, in the sump in case I need to set the QT up again. The one in there now will have been subjected to cupramine so it won't be safe to put back into the sump. But the new one should be cycled if I need to set up the QT in the future.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[EricTheRed]

Naw, you're not the only one whose killed a fish or two in Qt. I had some very mysterious deaths when I first setup mine.